Stackable container with movable handle on each end



June 4, 1968 R, B. SHANKLAND, SR 3,386,617

STACKABLE CONTAINER WITH MOVABLE HANDLE ON EACH END Filed April 18, 1966 nvvsmrow. RONALD B. SHA/VKLA NQSA.

United States Patent 3,386,617 STACKABLE CONTAINER WITH MOVABLE HANDLE ON EACH END Ronald B. Shankland, Sn, Manteno, Ill., assignor to Bennett Industries, Inc., Peotone, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 543,410 Claims. (Cl. 220-94) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shipping container having movable handle means on the top and bottom thereof may be fabricated from semirigid plastic. In their rest positions the handle means are aligned with the top and bottom of the container body, respectively, thereby permitting the containers to be stacked upon one another. In their carrying position, the handles extend outwardly from the side wall structure, whereby the container may be grasped by the handle means at each end thereof and carried by one man, two men, or by industrial handling equipment.

The present invention relates to plastic containers and more particularly to an easily handled stackable plastic container.

Shippers and storers have long sought a container that would be suitable for use in packaging, storing, and shipping liquids, serniliquids, and dry materials, and that could be fabricated from plastic rather than conventional metals such as steel. A plastic container suitable for shipping and storage of such materials would be more economical than a similarly sized metal container by reason of the comparatively higher cost of conventionally utilized metals (e.g., steel) in relation to plastics (e.g., polyethylene). Moreover, problems of corrosion, which often arise with metal containers, could be avoided since plastics are generally more resistant than metals to corrosion and other similar forms of attack. Additionally, the effective substitution of plastic for metal in a commercial container could yield significant economies with respect to the weight of the resultant container.

The present invention comprises a shipping container fabricated from plastic and embodying a novel handle arrangement which permits the container to be manipulated with ease. Specifically, the novel and unique handle arrangement provided in connection with the containers of the present invention permits such containers to be carried by one man, by two men, or by industrial material handling equipment, such as a conventional hook and cradle arrangement.

In addition to the novel handle arrangement, the plastic containers of the present invention also are so designed that they may be disposed in vertical rows without pallets, dividers, or the like. Thus, in addition to ease of handling, containers of the present invention embody a stackability feature which greatly adds to their utility and convenience of use.

Briefly described, the container of the present invention comprises a molded plastic side wall structure, preferably of circular cross section, and plastic top wall and bottom wall members formed integrally therewith. An opening is provided in the top wall member and closure means are provided therefor. A pair of corresponding aligned handle means are movably mounted on the top and bottom members of the container adjacent the outer edges thereof. Each of the handle means is movable from a rest position to a carrying position, wherein it extends outwardly away from the side wall structure, whereby the container may be grasped by the handle means at each end thereof when the handle means are moved into their respective carrying positions.

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A primary object of the present invention is to provide a plastic container having a new and unique handle arrangement adapted to facilitate the handling thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a plastic container of the character described which exhibits a highly desirable stackability characteristic.

A still further object is to provide -a new and easily handled plastic container that is inexpensive to manufacture, yet which is durable and extremely useful.

These and other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will hereinafter appear and, for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bottom end thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the container shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line l-4 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a side perspective view showing the container handles in their respective carrying positions; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary plan view showing one of the container handles in its carrying position.

Wtih reference to the drawing, FIGURE 1 shows a container 10 comprising a side wall structure 12 and a top member '14 and a bottom member '16 integrally formed therewith. Container 10 is preferably formed from a suitable semi-rigid plastic having strength sufficient to withstand the abuses to which a shipping container is subjected in normal use. Linear, high density polyethylene is an especially suitable plastic material, although other plastics of the polyolefin or petrochemical family may be employed. An especially preferred plastic is polyethylene having a density ranging between 0.941 and 0.965 grams per cubic centimeter (ASTM Test D-1505-60T) and a melt index ranging between 0.1 and 9.0 (ASTM Test D-123 8-571"). Where the latter preferred polyethylene is employed in producing a blow-molded container, the melt index preferably ranges between 0.1 and 0.5, whereas when it is employed in producing an injection molded container, the melt index preferably lies between 4.0 and 9.0.

Top member 14 has a well 18 molded therein and an opening 20 defined by a flanged neck 22 is formed in well 18. A conventional closure, such as a cap 24, may be threaded on flanged neck 22 in order to close opening 20. Of course, as will be obvious to one skilled in the art, substantially any form of conventional closure may be attached to neck 22. In many instances, a pouring spout or other similar device may be attached to neck 22 in place of cap 24 in order to withdraw the contents from container 10. The top of cap 24 is flush with the surface of tap 14 so that stackability of the container 10 is not impaired by the projection of the closure for opening 20 upwardly above the level of the top 14.

A second well 26 is formed in top member 14 (see FIGURES 1, 3, and 4, especially). An integrally molded stud 28 is formed in well 26. A pivotable handle 34 is provided with a yoke portion 32 which fits about stud 28. A pivot pin 30 passes through yoke 32 and stud 28 whereby the handle 34 is pivotable with reference to the container 10.

The thickness of handle 34 is such that, when it is disposed within well 26 (see FIGURE 1), the upper surface thereof is substantially aligned with the remainder of top member 14. Thus, with the handle 34 disposed in well 26, the stackability of the container is not impaired. A flanged vent opening 38 is formed within the opening 36 formed in handle 34 when the latter is disposed in its rest position within well 26. Vent opening 38 is provided with a conventional cap 39, the top of which is substantially level with top wall member 14. When it is desired to remove the contents of container 10, flow of liquid through opening 26 is facilitated by removal of cap 39 from vent opening 38.

Handle 34 is pivotable through substantially a 180 angle between a rest position in which it is disposed within well 26 (see FIGURES 1, 3, and 4) and a carrying position wherein it extends perpendicularly away from the side wall structure 12 of container 11 (see FIGURES 5 and 6). Handle 34 has an open center portion 36 through which a human hand, a mechanical hook, or the like may be passed in order to grasp the handle 34.

A corresponding well 413 is formed in bottom member 16 in a position substantially aligned with well 26 in top 14- (see FIGURE 1). A stud 42 is molded in well 49 and a handle 44, provided with a yoke portion 443 designed to fit about stud 42, is pivotally mounted in well 40 by means of a pivot pin 48, which passes through yoke 46 and stud 42. Handle 44- is pivotable through a substantially 180 angle from a rest position (see FIGURE 2), wherein it is disposed within well 40, to a carrying posi tion, wherein it extends away from bottom member 16 in a direction substantially perpendicular to side wall structure 12 (see FIGURE 6). The design and attachment of handle 44 to bottom member 16 is in all respects comparable to the arrangement of handle 3 -1 and top member 14. When handle 44 is disposed within well 4t), the bottom surface of handle 44 lies substantially in line with the remainder of bottom member 16, whereby the stackability of the container is facilitated.

In use, containers 10 may be stacked in vertical columns merely by placing them one above the other, the bottom 16 of each upper container resting directly upon the top 14 of each lower container. Since, with the handles 34 and 14 of each container disposed in their respective wells 26, 4t), fiat surfaces are presented by both top member 14 and member 16, a useful, readily stackable container is obtained.

When it is desired to move the container, it is merely necessary to pivot each of the handles 34, 44 through substantially a 180 angle from its respective rest position (see FIGURES 1 and 2) to its respective carrying position (see FIGURE 6). With handles 34, 44 disposed in the FIGURE 6 carrying position, one man can carry the container conveniently, or a different man (i.e., one at each end of the container) can grasp each handle so that a particularly heavy container can be transported. As a further alternative, :1 conventional hook and cradle arrangement can be used, a hook passing through each of the handles 34, 44, so as to permit mechanical hoisting and transporting equipment to be used with the container.

While the container of the present invention has been described with reference to a side wall structure 12 of generally circular cross section, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that side Wall structures having other cross sectional configurations can be satisfactorily employed. Thus, a container having a triangular or a rectangular, especially a square cross sectional configuration, could also be employed. So long as a generally flat top and bottom is provided in combination with such a side wall structure and so long as the novel handle arrangement is provided on the top member and bottom member thereof such a container would conform to the teachings hereof.

While the present invention has been described With reference to certain preferred embodiments, it should be understood that various changes, variations, and modifications in the structure and function thereof may be effected without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A stackable molded plastic shipping and storage container comprising:

a side wall structure;

a top wall member and a bottom wall member formed integrally therewith so as to form a unitary container body;

a first recessed Well formed in the top wall member;

a second recessed well formed in the bottom wall member in alignment with the first recessed well;

first handle means movably mounted in the first recessed well and movable between a rest position and a carrying position; and,

second handle means movably mounted in the second recessed Well and movable between a rest position and a carrying position,

the first handle means and second handle means being generally aligned when disposed in their respective carrying positions,

whereby the container may be grasped by the first and second handle means when the first and second handle means are moved into their respective carrying positions,

the first handle means and second handle means being respectively disposed in the first and second recessed wells when they are disposed in their respective rest positions,

whereby generally fiat stackin surfaces are presented by each of the top and bottom wall members.

2. A container, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side wall structure is of a generally circular cross section and wherein, when disposed in their respective carrying positions, the first handle means and second handle means project outwardly substantially in the planes of the top wall member and bottom wall member respectively and substantially perpendicularly to the side wall structure.

3. A container, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first handle means and second handle means are pivotally mounted adjacent the periphery of the top and bottom wall members respectively and are pivotable through angles of substantially 180 from their respective rest to carrying positions.

4. A container, as claimed in claim 3, wherein a recessed opening is provided in the top wall member and wherein closure means are provided for the opening, the top of the closure means lying generally in the plane of the top wall member.

5. A container, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the container is molded from linear, high density polyethylene.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,120,487 6/1938 Conner 220-94 2,147,471 2/ 1939 Tyrrel et al. 220-95 2,628,714 2/1953 Schaefer -1 220-97 3,207,359 9/1965 Heisler et al. 22097 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,215,646 11/1959 France.

RAPHAEL 1-1. SCHWARTZ, Primary Examiner. 

